Source: Save The Children
This is how the story started…
On the 24th February 2022 the war in Ukraine escalated dramatically. Suddenly, all 7.5 million children across the country were in grave danger of physical harm, severe emotional distress, and displacement.
Explosions were heard in the capital Kyiv and other major cities such as Kharkiv, forcing children and families into basements and bomb shelters. Parents tried to calm terrified children. Thousands more fled the capital, mostly by car. Temperatures dropped below freezing. Displaced children faced long nights and days exposed to brutal conditions.
The year that followed is not one anyone could have ever imagined.
My name is Kateryna, and as an aid worker from Ukraine, I also feel a part of this story as I lived through it.
I work for Save the Children in Ukraine as our Information and Communications Coordinator. I am from Sloviansk, Donetsk region, in Eastern Ukraine but I have been living in Kyiv for the last few years. I haven`t been working for Save the Children for a long time – just a year and a half, but it definitely feels like it`s been ages. In my role, I capture the experiences of children and their families through interviews and photos, work on reporting and coordinate with our teams across Ukraine on various creative communications products.
When the war escalated dramatically a year ago, my life changed. I was actually in Stockholm in Sweden, for a short vacation when I first heard what was happening. My international colleagues immediately offered support for me to stay in Sweden, in safety. This was very heart-warming indeed. But, I decided to head back to Ukraine, because I knew that I needed to be there to do anything I could to help.
This wasn’t the first time I experienced conflict in my country. I have already been an internally displaced person (IDP) back in 2014 as I lived with my family in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, when the war started in Eastern Ukraine. It literally came to my hometown. For me, the war has already been going on for almost nine years, not just this one. The difference this time is that all Ukraine’s major cities and regions that had previously not experienced war have now come under fire.
In these last 12 months I’ve been around the country, meeting families and seeing the work Save the Children has been doing with the support of my colleagues, our partners and supporters.
Those first days were scary and uncertain, but Save the Children managed to mobilise quickly. We rushed to deliver emergency supplies and to get in touch with our existing partners and the children we were supporting prior to the escalation to make sure they were safe. We established relationships with local authorities, volunteers and other possible partner organisations across the country, all to get an understanding of how we could best support children, families, and communities.
Soon, children started to tell us their stories…
Gathered by talented colleagues and brave children, the collection of stories below capture life for children inside Ukraine during one year of war.
Continue scrolling or click the menu along the top to read the stories of children from Ukraine and how Save the Children has been able to help.
Note: All text written in italics are direct quotes from children.
* Names have been changed to protect identity.
